As far as the cancer link the research isn't too strong in either direction. But, studies on food palatability and food reward are growing daily and suggest that highly palatable foods (of which I would include diet soda despite its lack of calories) promote overeating of other highly palatable foods (the vast majority of which are crap foods) and are a driving force for obesity. It's the same brain mechanism as drug addiction. So long story short, will aspartame or sucralose directly cause cancer? Maybe not. But they'll lead you to eat other crappy foods that may increase those odds.

Click to expand...

This is just straight wrong. They are strong in one direction and that direction is that artificial sweeteners don't cause cancer. There hasn't been a study that, after thorough review, has successfully link cancer to artificial sweeteners.

This is just straight wrong. They are strong in one direction and that direction is that artificial sweeteners don't cause cancer. There hasn't been a study that, after thorough review, has successfully link cancer to artificial sweeteners.

Click to expand...

The majority of studies that have been done are on mice, not free living humans, and they have not spanned a considerable period of time (say like 30 years), so the evidence for or against a link between artificial sweeteners and cancer over a lifetime in humans is not there. Regardless, one of the many things that drives obesity is food palatability/food reward. People are more apt to eat other shitty foods when they consume highly palatable foods like diet soda (regardless of calories or lack thereof). This is well supported In the literature. So drinking diet soda may or may not cause cancer, frankly
I don't think that it would over a lifetime if kept to moderation, but it does increase your brain's desire for other tasty and not-so-healthy foods. I see this clinically in my office on a regular basis. They only get so far by switching to diet, and then really hit their stride after removing diet soda.

The majority of studies that have been done are on mice, not free living humans, and they have not spanned a considerable period of time (say like 30 years), so the evidence for or against a link between artificial sweeteners and cancer over a lifetime in humans is not there. Regardless, one of the many things that drives obesity is food palatability/food reward. People are more apt to eat other shitty foods when they consume highly palatable foods like diet soda (regardless of calories or lack thereof). This is well supported In the literature. So drinking diet soda may or may not cause cancer, frankly
I don't think that it would over a lifetime if kept to moderation, but it does increase your brain's desire for other tasty and not-so-healthy foods. I see this clinically in my office on a regular basis. They only get so far by switching to diet, and then really hit their stride after removing diet soda.

Click to expand...

I'm not arguing anything about palatability/obesity/etc. I'm talking cancer. You can argue there aren't studies over 30 years fine. That doesn't mean the science isn't strong in one direction (non-carcinogenic). Every well reviewed study has shown no link between cancer and artificial sweeteners. THe ones that showed any type of link we pretty quickly debunked with numerous flaws.